Preserving Kyiv's Architectural Legacy: A City Reconstructing Its Foundations Amidst the Onslaught of War.

Lesia Danylenko proudly presented her recently completed front door. The restoration team had affectionately dubbed its graceful transom window the “pastry”, a lighthearted tribute to its curved shape. “In my opinion it’s more of a peafowl,” she commented, admiring its twig-detailed ornamentation. The restoration project at one of Kyiv’s turn-of-the-century art nouveau houses was supported by residents, who marked the occasion with several impromptu pavement parties.

It was also an expression of resistance in the face of a foreign power, she clarified: “Our aim is to live like ordinary people regardless of the war. It’s about organizing our life in the best possible way. We’re not afraid of living in our country. I could have left, relocating to another European nation. On the contrary, I’m here. The new entrance represents our commitment to our homeland.”

“We are trying to live like normal people despite the war. It’s about arranging our life in the optimal way.”

Safeguarding Kyiv’s architectural heritage seems unusual at a period when missile strikes frequently hit the capital, causing death and destruction. Since the start of the current year, bombing campaigns have been dramatically stepped up. After each attack, workers board up blown-out windows with plywood and endeavor, where possible, to salvage residential buildings.

Among the Bombs, a Battle for History

Despite the violence, a band of activists has been attempting to conserve the city’s deteriorating mansions, built in a distinctive style known as Ukrainian modernism. Danylenko’s house is in the historic Shevchenkivskyi district. It was built in 1906 and was originally the home of a wealthy fur dealer. Its outer walls is adorned with horse chestnut leaves and fine camomile flowers.

“They are symbols of Kyiv. These properties are uncommon in the present day,” Danylenko stated. The mansion was designed by an architect of Central European origin. Several other buildings in the vicinity showcase similar art nouveau elements, including an irregular shape – with a gothic tower on one side and a projection on the other. One beloved house in the area boasts two unhappy white stucco cats, as well as owls, masks and a devil.

Several Dangers to Heritage

But military aggression is only one threat. Preservation campaigners say they face profit-driven developers who raze listed buildings, corrupt officials and a political leadership unconcerned or resistant to the city’s vast architectural history. The bitter winter climate presents another difficulty.

“Kyiv is a city where wealth dictates. We don’t have real political will to save our heritage,” said Dmytro Perov, an activist. He asserted the city’s mayor was closely associated with many of the developers who bulldoze important houses. Perov further alleged that the concept for the capital is reminiscent of a bygone era. The mayor has refuted these claims, saying they originate from political rivals.

Perov said many of the public-spirited activists who once defended older properties were now fighting on the frontline or had been fallen. The protracted conflict meant that the entire society was facing economic hardship, he added, including those in the legal system who curiously ruled in favour of dubious new-build schemes. “The longer this goes on the more we see deterioration of our society and governing institutions,” he argued.

Loss and Disregard

One notorious demolition site is in the waterside Podil neighbourhood. The street was home to classical 19th-century houses. A developer who obtained the plot had committed to preserve its picturesque brick facade. A day after the onset of major hostilities, diggers tore it down. Recently, a crane dug foundations for a new retail and office development, watched by a unfriendly security guard.

Anatolii Pohorily, a heritage supporter, said there was not much hope for the remaining blue-green houses on the site. Sometimes developers demolished old properties while stating they were doing “scientific study”, he said. A 20th-century empire also wrought immense damage on the capital, redesigning its main thoroughfare after the second world war so it could accommodate official processions.

Carrying the Torch

One of Kyiv’s most prominent advocates of historic buildings, a heritage expert, was lost his life in 2022 while serving in a contested area. His colleague Nelli Chudna said she and other volunteers were persevering in his vital preservation work. There were at one time 3,500 stone mansions in Kyiv, many built for the city’s wealthy business magnates. Only 80 of their original doors survived, she said.

“It was not external attacks that got rid of them. It was us,” she admitted sadly. “The war could go on for another 20 years. If we fail to protect architecture now nothing will be left,” she emphasized. Chudna recently helped to restore a characterful creeper-covered house built in 1910, which acts as the headquarters of her cultural organization and doubles as a film set and museum. The property has a new red door and period-correct railings; inside is a vintage sanitary facility and antique mirrors.

“The war could go on for another 20 years. If we neglect architecture now not a thing will be left.”

The building’s tenant, artist Yurii Pikul, described his home as “very cool and a little bit cold”. Why do many citizens not appreciate the past? “Sadly they lack education and taste. It’s all about business. We are trying as a country to integrate with the west. But we are still not yet close from that standard,” he said. Outdated ways of thinking remained, with people reluctant to take personal responsibility for their built surroundings, he added.

Therapy in Preservation

Some buildings are crumbling because of institutional abandonment. Chudna indicated a once-magical villa concealed behind a modern hospital. Its roof had collapsed; pigeons nested among its shattered windows; rubbish lay under a fairytale tower. “Many times we are unsuccessful,” she admitted. “Restoration is a coping mechanism for us. We are attempting to save all this heritage and beauty.”

In the face of war and development pressures, these activists continue their work, one door at a time, stating that to save a city’s soul, you must first save its stones.